Job Details

Director of Access and Engagement - College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences - UTK

Location: Knoxville, TN, United States

Job Description

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, the Director of Access and Engagement will serve as the college's chief subject matter expert on access and engagement and will develop and execute a college-wide plan to increase access and engagement for faculty, staff, and students; that is, this individual will develop strategies, initiatives and protocols to aid the college in its goal of supporting and retaining faculty, staff, and students. This person will also lead, design, and sustain a major university–community partnership centered on a purpose-built community in a nearby neighborhood. This community-centered role will build and steward a long-term, multi-agency partnership—one that responds directly to the priorities identified by residents and local organizations. The Director will serve on the dean’s leadership team and advise on work related to access and community engagement.

Responsibilities Lead Community Partnership Efforts - This community-centered role will build and steward a long-term, multi-agency partnership—one that responds directly to the priorities identified by residents and local organizations.

• Design, lead, and sustain a major university–community partnership centered on a purpose-built community in a nearby neighborhood.
• Identifies potential solutions to the priorities of residents / local organizations, and involves these stakeholders in selection of optimal resolutions.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the university, the purpose-built community, and partnering agencies (e.g., nonprofits, schools, housing organizations, health providers).
• Design and build a partnership model focused on sustainability, trust, equity, and capacity-building.
• Ensure that community members feel meaningfully connected to the university and that the partnership provides genuine benefit for residents.
• Place student interns within the community, in collaboration with partner agencies.

Grant Writing:

• Seek and secure grant funding to support the work of the community
• Collaborate with faculty on research projects, following engaged scholarship standards

Lead College-Wide Access and Engagement Plan:

• Work with faculty and staff to develop a college-wide plan to include coaching and mentoring of students, staff, and/or faculty
• Plan engagement activities for the purpose of developing a sense of belonging, with the goal of retaining students, staff, and/or faculty
• Work across the college to develop large- and small-scale professional development and education programs for faculty, students, and/or staff

Supervise Staff and Oversee Budget:

• This position will manage and provide guidance and direction for staff of three, including the Coordinator of Access and Engagement, an Administrative Assistant, and a Faculty Fellow.
• This position is responsible for creating and managing the office budget, in accordance with state guidelines.

College Leadership, Data Collection, and Program Evaluation Participate in College and University Leadership:

• This person will attend university and college level meetings that support the work of Access and Engagement; implement initiatives extending from these meetings, and communicating across groups, as needed

Data Collection, Analysis, and Evaluation

• Survey, analyze, interpret feedback information, and prepare and submit reports (e.g., Impact Summary, annual report, student programs).
• Collaborate with other college leaders on data gathering efforts to develop academic and performance statistics for the university that are accurate, relevant, and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the programs and services offered through the Access and Engagement work.
• Identify and implement changes to programs as needed, to ensure outcomes align with strategic objectives.

Qualifications Required Qualifications Education:

• Master’s Degree (fields may include education, public health, social work, public administration, counseling, nonprofit management, community development, or related)

Experience:

• Experience supervising others
• Experience working effectively within diverse communities, particularly those with histories of underinvestment or marginalization.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of higher education, particularly about access to higher education and retention of students, staff, and faculty
• Proven ability to work effectively within diverse communities, particularly those with histories of underinvestment or marginalization.
• Strong skills in collaboration, communication, facilitation, and conflict resolution.
• Commitment to equity, community-defined priorities, and ethical engagement practices.
• Ability to design, implement, and assess programs and initiatives.
• Strong project management skills

Preferred Qualifications Education:

• Doctoral Degree

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in community engagement, nonprofit leadership, community organizing, or coalition-building.
• Experience coordinating multi-agency partnerships or cross-sector collaborations.
• Experience working with purpose-built communities or place-based initiatives.
• Experience with grant writing, fundraising, and resource mobilization.
• Experience teaching at the university level.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of housing, public health, education, or other human-services sectors.
• Familiarity with community-engaged research, participatory methods, or evaluation frameworks.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR14
• Anticipated hiring range:
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

About The College/Department/Division

CEHHS consists of six departments: Counseling, Human Development and Family Science; Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sports Studies; Nutrition and Public Health Sciences; Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management; and Theory and Practice in Teacher Education. The college has approximately 3,100 undergraduate majors, and approximately 900 graduate students. CEHHS offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare future educators, health professionals, and service industry leaders to enhance the quality of life for others. We also provide numerous community-based collaborations and initiatives that help to empower people locally and all over the world.

The vision of CEHHS emphasizes the college’s role within a flagship, land-grant, Research 1 institution. The focus of this vision is on quality and impact in all we do. The College offers outstanding programs that position graduates for the workforce and citizenry. The faculty research focuses on making a difference in education, health, and the service industry. The College also has a mission to make a direct positive impact on the local and regional community through partnerships and service. CEHHS’ growth is aligned with UT’s and the last two years have seen the college achieve record enrollment, student retention rates, and research expenditures.